Sobit Valikhonovich
| place_of_birth = Itsfaratz, Tajikistan | date_of_arrest = | place_of_arrest= | arresting_authority= | date_of_release = | place_of_release= | date_of_death = | place_of_death = | citizenship = | detained_at = Guantanamo | id_number = 90 | group = | alias = | charge = No charge, held in extrajudicial detention | penalty = | status = repatriated | csrt_summary = | csrt_transcript= | occupation = | spouse = | parents = | children = }} Sobit Valikhonovich (born 13 November 1969) is a citizen of Tajikistan who was held in extrajudicial detention in the United States Guantanamo Bay detainment camps, in Cuba. His Guantanamo Internment Serial Number was 90. The US Department of Defense reports that he was born on November 13, 1969, in Itsfaratz, Tajikistan. Sobit Valikhonovich was transferred on Feb. 28, 2007. Inconsistent identification Sobit Valikhonovich was identified inconsistently on official United States government documents: *He was identified as "((Vakhidov)) Sobit (Abdumukit) Valikhonovich" on the first full official list of captives' names. *He was identified as "Sobit Abdumukit Valikhonovich Vakhidov" on his 2004 Summary of Evidence memo and on three official lists published in September 2007. *He was identified as "Tasbit Vokhidov" in the unclassified dossier arising from his CSR Tribunal. | title=Tasbit Vokhidov v. George W. Bush -- Civil Action 05-0621 (PLF) | publisher=United States Department of Defense | date=2005-09-09 | author=J.L. Hunt USN | accessdate=2010-01-03 | pages='101–132' }} *He was identified as "Wahidof Abdul Mokit" on a Department of Justice list of habeas petitioners in 2007. mirror *He was identified as "Tsabit Vokhidov" on the official list of when captives left Guantanamo. Combatant Status Review Valikhonovich was among the 60% of prisoners who participated in the tribunal hearings.OARDEC, Index to Transcripts of Detainee Testimony and Documents Submitted by Detainees at Combatant Status Review Tribunals Held at Guantanamo Between July 2004 and March 2005, September 4, 2007 A Summary of Evidence memo was prepared for the tribunal of each detainee. The memo for his hearing lists the following allegations: detainees ARB|Set_3_0205-0319_Revised.pdf#31}} Summarized transcripts (.pdf), from Sobit Valikhonovich's Combatant Status Review Tribunal - pages 31-44Summary of Evidence (.pdf) prepared for Sobit Valikhonovich's Combatant Status Review Tribunals - August 31, 2004 -page 187 Response to the allegations *Valikonovich denied supporting the Taliban and al Qaeda. *Valikonovich acknowledged being recruited in Tolidara, Tajikistan, but testified that he thought he was being recruited to join the Tajik army. *Valikonovich testified that he and two other men were duped by a recruiter named Rostam. *Valikonovich testified he and his two companions were handed over to a recruiter named Zakir, who confiscated their passports and took them to Afghanistan by force. *Valikonovich testified he was unaware of any Uzbeks in Tajikistan. *Valikonovich testified he had never heard of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan until he arrived in Afghanistan. *Valikonovich acknowledged visiting three IMU offices; first in Konduz; then two days later in Kabul, where he first learned of the existence of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. The reason for his visit was to try to get his passport returned. *Valikonovich testified that after five months he found an opportunity to escape, and ran away to a madrassa. One of the teachers at the madrassa advised him to travel to Mazari Sharif first, if he wanted to get back to Tajikistan. *Valikonovich testified that he left the madrassa with another man who knew the way to Mazari Sharif, and spent three months traveling there, and trying to figure out a way to cross into Tajikistan. *Valikonovich testified that he was captured, by the Northern Alliance, in Mazari Sharif. *Valikonovich testified that he didn't learn how to assemble and disassemble the Kalashnikov in Afghanistan. He testified that it was compulsory for all tenth grade students in Tajikistan to attend a week of military training, and he was how to fire and maintain a Kalashnikov at that camp. *Valikonovich acknowledged that he carried a Kalashnikov while standing guard duty. But this guard duty was not performed for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan who kidnapped him. Rather he performed guard duty for his hosts at the madrassa who took him in and helped him when he was escaping from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. *Valikonovich testified that the Kalashnikov was the madrassa's weapon, not his. Further, "It was only for the security of the madrasa. They told us there were a lot of thieves around the madrasa, so it was just for safety and we never even held the Kalashnikov in our hands. It was hanging by the door." *Valikonovich denied that he had ever said he fought for the IMU, that he had ever fought against the USA, or that he was a part of the IMU. Response to Tribunal questions *When he was asked about the men he was captured with Valikonovich testified that he was staying with three other men in Mazari Sharif. One was a doctor, he didn't know the other two. He was awoken by a knock, early in the morning. When he answered the door he was asked who he was. When he replied he was a Tajik he was taken into custody. He was whisked away so he didn't know if the other men were also captured. *Valikonovich testified that there were no fighters at the madrassa, all the students were young boys. *Valikonovich testified that he had never fought against the Northern Alliance prior to his capture. Prior to his capture he had never heard of the Northern Alliance. *Valikonovich testified that he had never been a member, or associated with, any political groups. He had never heard of al Qaida prior to his interrogations. Testimony of Rukniddin Sharipov Rukniddin Sharipov was another Tajik who claimed he was duped by a recruiter for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. *Rukniddin testified he had known Valikonovich since he was a child. *Rukniddin arrived in Afghanistan a day after Valikonovich. It was in Afghanistan he realized he had not been recruited by the Tajik army. *Rukniddin testified that he and Valikonovich spent about two weeks in Lajar, Tajikistan, receiving some cursory training, prior to being sent to Afghanistan. The base in Lajar was the last time he saw Valikonovich prior to seeing him again after his capture by the Northern Alliance. *Rukniddin testified that he and Valikonovich were imprisoned together in Afghanistan. *Rukniddin testified that most of his time in the camp in Lajar was spent collecting firewood. Tasbit Vokhidov v. George W. Bush -- Civil Action No. 05-0621 (PLF) A writ of habeas corpus, Tasbit Vokhidov v. George W. Bush, filed on behalf of Guantanamo captive Tasbit Vokhidov. In response the Department of Defense published 32 pages of unclassified documents arising from his Tribunal. According to the documents in the unclassified dossier Sobit's enemy combatant status was reviewed by Tribunal panel 7. But a ''memo of record from Tribunal panel 6 authorized his witness request. The officers on his Tribunal wrote that they found the testimony of Sobit and his witness "unconvincing". The Tribunal President of his Tribunal wrote that, after reviewing all the documents presented during the Tribunal's unclassified session, when Sobit was allowed to be present, they found that "no usable evidence", the Tribunal "...had to look to other evidence to support the assertions on the Unclassified Summary of Evidence and the Tribunal's conclusions." Press reports Canadian journalist, and former special assistant to US President George W. Bush, David Frum, published an article based on his own reading of the transcripts from the Combatant Status Review Tribunals, on November 11, 2006. It was Frum who coined the term "Axis of evil" for use in a speech he wrote for Bush. Valikhonovich's transcript was one of the nine Frum briefly summarized. His comment on Valikhonovich was: Frum came to the conclusion that the stories of them noine men were implausible. His article concluded with the comment: Repatriation On October 9, 2009, the Department of Defense prepared a list of when captives were transferred from Guantanamo. That list was published on November 26, 2009. According to that list "Tsabit Vokhidov" was repatriated on February 28, 2007. References External links *The Guantánamo Files: Website Extras (7) – From Sheberghan to Kandahar Andy Worthington Category:Living people Category:1969 births Category:Guantanamo detainees known to have been released Category:Tajikistani extrajudicial prisoners of the United States